The Undertaker's Garden
by Angel of Apricots
Summary: Undertaker wasn't satisfied with his empty garden, and he was the only flower in it. A few years later, he seems to enjoy his life more, especially in the company of five flowers that he found blooming. (Modern!AU, Shinigami-Centric, Rated T for Grell's Odd Fantasies and Eric's Language.)
1. Chapter 1: Shinigami Family

**Modern!AU. Undertaker is a rich guy who loves his garden so much, but his manor is empty and the only thing he has for company is his TV, which plays numerous comedy shows a day.**

 **He sees a kid that's very bitter, 'cuz his parents just had a divorce and left him somewhere, so he takes him in and gives him a lot of support for school and such. He sees a young lady who ran away from home because her parents see her as a guy rather than a girl, so he takes her in as well, plus, he buys her an entire wardrobe of red dresses. He sees an obviously depressed teenager who attempted suicide because most of his past girlfriends cheated on him, and takes him in, and thought him how to be optimistic. He sees two young students struggling to pay for their rent and tuition fee while one of them needs medical attention, and takes them in as well, and often brings the other for checkups to ensure he's fine.**

 **In short; Undertaker just adopted five teens and is now satisfied with his life.**

* * *

No one knew his real name. All they knew that he was such a creepy guy with a tendency to laugh at jokes he watched on TV. He was called Undertaker for an odd reason, but nearly everyone gossiped about him being some sort of ghoul or demon that was sent from hell to drag others from earth to the underworld. It was also a rumor that he admired coffins and corpses, judging by the way he seemed fascinated whenever he hears someone nearby dies.

Which was a load of crap. Who believes in demons and ghouls? Definitely not him, that's for sure. He was William T. Spears. He was a logical young man who believed in science and everything logical, and not silly things like magic or demons or different dimensions and whatnot. Logic was important, and Will was sure of it. The only ones who believed in other dimensions and ghosts are people like Ronald Knox and Alan Humphries, one of his six housemates.

He didn't mind their company though. His housemates were all interesting, but that didn't mean he didn't snap at them every once in awhile. Like Grell, for instance. When she hit puberty, she started whining constantly and became more sassy and bossy than she already was. Plus, wearing a red miniskirt to school was a big no-no back then, but now that they were all in highschool, nothing was stopping her from wearing her all-red wardrobe. Ron was another example; while he didn't mind his presence because Ron was known as if he was the sun itself, he was too optimistic that it was just plain scary. He didn't really snap at Eric or Alan much, considering both boys preferred to just sit in a corner and watch the others instead of trying to replace all of Will's underwear with Grell's. Ew.

He stood in front of the gate of his home; a large gate that was black and had a skull and two crossbones above. Honestly. It looked menacing, and that was one of the reasons people thought Undertaker was a scary man. In all honesty, Undertaker was nice enough to even give them a home. Undertaker preferred doing things himself, but when they turned into teens, Will had told his housemates that he and the rest of them should do chores sometimes as well. Undertaker was getting a bit.. old, to be honest.

They had all made it perfectly clear to never let Eric clean the basement. He'd procrastinate and dig around a few boxes just to stare at them for ages. The same went for Alan and the kitchen. Despite the latter being as good-natured as Ron, he was bound to be arrested for poisoning his housemates with horrible culinary skills like that. Grell wasn't much of a problem, except she was a bit too lazy and busy with her girlfriends to actually do chores. Ron was eager to do chores, but.. never let him near the garden. Other than the fact that Undertaker treasures the garden, Ron could manage to destroy it within seconds. He gained an obsession with bringing the manor's lawn mower around for some reason.

He sighed, pulling out a skull-shaped key out of his pocket. Undertaker had numerous keys that would open the gate to the manor, and he had given two each to him and his friends, with Undertaker referring to them as his "children". Which.. was a bit odd. But it wasn't that bad. Undertaker was kind to them, giving them a home and all.. he felt really safe in the manor, to be honest.

* * *

William went straight to Alan's room first. Will just went out for fresh air, considering he and Grell had another argument about who does the dishes and who ate all the cupcakes in the fridge. But Will was concerned for his friend. Alan and Eric were the last two to be found by Undertaker, and when those two were found, they looked horrible. Will arrived in the manor with eye bags, red eyes, and a messy hairstyle. Grell arrived in the manor with a torn dress, strange hair cut, and some lipstick that was scribbled all over her face. Ron arrived in the manor with wrists bruised, his face a wreck, and barefoot. How did the two arrive?

Eric was more than a wreck. His shirt was torn off, and one of his legs were bleeding. He and Alan didn't possess glasses back then, and like everyone else in the manor, their eyesight was beyond terrible. He also had a black eye. When Undertaker took the three kids out for a walk, he certainly didn't expect finding a young blonde named Eric fighting a couple of older thugs all by himself.

Undertaker also didn't expect Grell to claw at their faces mercilessly. But that didn't mean Undertaker wasn't proud of her. He treated her to a new doll and a box of chocolates the week after that.

After Grell's sudden outburst scared the thugs away, Eric had murmured a word of thanks, before Undertaker knelt down in front of the kid and offered him a place to stay. Instead of replying, Eric grabbed the older man's hand and lead the four of them to an abandoned cabin near the park. Inside was a shivering Alan, who was crying in his sleep. Undertaker understood the important situation, and had Will and Ron assist Eric, while he carried Alan. When the young brunette woke up in the manor with different clothes and a damp cloth on his forehead, he was panicking because he thought someone had kidnapped him and had left Eric. Those two were really close.

Unfortunately, Alan always had weird attacks. The doctors couldn't diagnose what was causing pain to him, which frustrated Undertaker and Eric to no end. Knocking softly on the door that was painted green, Will hoped he would still hear his friend's voice. He had to be fine. "Hello? Alan?"

"Eh..? Door's open!"

Ah. Will sighed in relief. Alan sounded fine. He opened the door, and found a bunch of books in the floor, as Alan was plopped down on the checkered rug with a book in hand. It was the same novel Eric was reading the other day too. Eric was faster when it came to reading, but Alan was more observant. "Oh Will, Hi! I heard about the fight you had with Grell today. Ron rants about it to Mister Undertaker, so there was no way for me to not hear it. She's at her friend's house. Hannah Anafeloz's, to be exact." He exaplined, before picking up all the books on the floor.

Will decided to help him by placing the books on the bookshelf. Alan was the shortest, even shorter than Ron, who was the youngest. It was probably because of his unknown illness, but he was certainly active and optimistic for someone that always had to come home in the middle of the school day. He wasn't as optimistic as Ron, because he was as emotional as Grell sometimes. "I plan to apologize after she finishes crying to over her friends. It'll be awkward at dinner when we don't say a word to each other."

Alan nodded in agreement. "True."

* * *

 **First chapter's boring. I'll make the second one soon. Review if you find this interesting.**


	2. Chapter 2: Entertaining Family

"Alan? Alan? Are you alright? It's me."

Will and Alan's chat was interrupted by Eric, who had just came home from detention. Yes, Eric had detention for two hours straight because he reacted a bit violently at school today as always. Will was actually glad that his classmates were Eric and Grell, because those two usually needed help with their homework and Will was basically the only one sane enough to put up with them. Alan and Ron were classmates too, and Alan always talked about how he ends up getting involved with Ron's shenanigans. Thankfully, Ron always managed to bail themselves out of it. Eric would most likely intimidate him if Alan were to get detention as well.

Will and Alan waved their hands at the blonde, who waved back. "Hi there, Eric! Welcome home!" Alan greeted. "We were just talking about something. Is there something wrong?"

Eric shook his head. "Just came by to tell ya guys that Mister Undertaker has plans for us tonight. He says we should all eat out, 'cuz tensions been building between you and Grell, William." He pointed out. "It's a way to make up, he says. He called her already, and she's on her way home to get dressed. We should get ready too. Mister Undertaker went outta his way for a reservation, so we can't reject the guy's invitation. C'mon, Alan. I'll help you get dressed." He offered. "William, you should get ready too. Don't worry, I'll handle Alan by myself just fine."

Will was only called William by a few people; teachers, classmates who wanted to intimidate him, and Eric himself. Eric wasn't really the type to easily get close to other people, and while he had no problem hanging out with his housemates.. he didn't really have a habit of nicknaming all of them. He refers to Ron as Ronald, Will as William, and Grell.. she doesn't have a nickname that was actually normal. Her nickname is longer than her actual name. Will nodded and left the two alone, as Eric dig into Alan's closet while muttering about how a light blue suit would fit the latter.

Hm. Dark brown or black might fit Alan better, but light blue wasn't a bad decision either.

* * *

Ron needed help. Any help. Physical help, mental help, or emotional help. And before you ask, no. Ron had gotten over his decision of attempting suicide years ago, ever since he met Will and Grell. Ron was now the most optimistic member of their family. Often looking for the good in things, and always knows how to have fun. That was what described Ron the best. While he was still known as a flirt at school, Ron didn't actually ask anyone out for a date yet. He wasn't ready. After years of being dumped and cheated on, he needed more than enough time to actually learn how to trust someone properly.

Eh. He liked girls. Maybe a few guys too. But he didn't actually like anyone in the manor romantically. He liked to think of Will and Eric as older brothers who would usually be in charge of everything that happened when Undertaker was busy. Despite Alan being a year older than him, Ron thought of him as a little brother because of the brunette's height and more innocent nature. Grell? A big sister.. maybe?

"Ronnie-poo, what colored purse should I bring with me tonight?"

Definitely an older sister. Ugh, Ronald kept telling himself that he, Ronald Knox, was a _man_. Why was he even helping the only female in the group pick a purse that complimented her dress? "The black ones are fitted for the part. Don't bring any purse that's green or yellow. Either the black one with red ruffles, or the black one with white spots. It suits your dress better, I guess." And he just decided a purse that would fit a woman's dress. Great. "Grell! We're just going out for dinner and all! I need to get dressed to, you know!"

Grell's lips curled into a frown. "You don't have even a bit of sense of fashion, Ronnie. Did you notice how those young ladies the other day were looking at you? Orange and light green make you look more of a baby carrot rather than someone who's claiming to be macho and manly. More of a onesie-worthy color scheme if you ask me." She retorted. "Ugh, and those long striped socks weren't even the same color as your clothes! Pink and baby blue? No-no! It doesn't match the color of your clothes!" She wailed.

Ron's face became red. "I lost a bet against Eric! He dared me to wear some of Alan's clothes for a day! I don't even know why Undertaker considered buying those clothes in the first place! Heck, I didn't even know Alan liked clothes that reminded him of carrots and bubblegum! Never mind, just pick a purse or heels or lipstick, and let me dress up for tonight too!"

And yes, that was the reason he needed mental help; he wanted to rid the image of Grell changing her dress constantly in front of him. A man! How unladylike in the slightest.. he was beginning to sound like Grell talking to herself too.. argh.

* * *

Undertaker was dressed for tonight as well. He had decency too. While at home he preferred to let his very long white hair drop to the floor and wear one of his loose black robes, but when it came to going out in public (by going out it meant stepping outside the manor's gate), he would look more different to the point people didn't know or recognize him as Undertaker, the so-called old man addicted to cartoons.

No, his hair was tied into a very long ponytail, in which was a bit difficult to manage. He decided to wear a black suit with a checkered black-and-white shirt underneath and maybe a top hat with a checkered ribbon to compliment his clothes nicely. Yes, he'd do that. As he grabbed his top hat and exited his own room, he went downstairs and spotted all his "children" waiting for him near the door. And my, they really outdid themselves with their clothes and accessories. How fantastic! Now they looked like a very entertaining family!

Grell wore a red dress with black ruffles, red stockings with black stripes, and red heels. As Ron suggested, she picked the black purse with red ruffles, and a rose was settled on her already-red hair. Her glasses weren't present, but Undertaker assumed the young lady simply shoved it in her purse. Her hair was braided, while some strands hung loosely. "Your dress looks marvelous as always, my dear. Did Ronald here assist you?~" Grell only gave him her charming grin, while Ron facepalmed himself with a groan and red face.

Will wore what he usually did when it came to formal events; a black suit, black shoes, black gloves, his pocket-watch, and his black-framed glasses present. Simplistic, bt that's what made Will, well, himself. If he were to wear something with polka-dots, that would be considered weird. Stoic face? Check. All-black attire? Check. Face practically void of all emotion? Check. "Willy, you should smile a bit more!~" Undertaker giggled. "Oh well. You still look like a handsome gentleman no matter what clothes you decide to wear. Or what face you decide to put on." He commented, giving the stoic student a light pat on the shoulder. Will didn't like being touched much after all, and will literally slap you if you touch him for more than five seconds.

As for Ron, he wore a white version of Will's suit, minus the gloves and pocket-watch. Instead, he wore his old family locket and his father's wristwatch, two green hairpins were used to keep the blonde's hair in place. Unlike Will however, Ron didn't choose to wear his glasses. He decided to wear black shades to add to his "cool guy" effect, and Undertaker swore Ron was trying hard to not burst out laughing from how cliché everyone looked. Stuffing his hands in his pockets while grinning like the little troublemaker he was, Undertaker resisted the urge to give him a noogie. It would ruin the youngest's hair and Grell would surely complain about that. "Oh? You actually look formal and proper today, Ronald. Impressive, I must say."

Alan did what Eric suggested and wore a light blue suit that covered a white shirt underneath. The brown shoes seemed to fit him as well. On Alan's neck was a choker with a little plastic flower, presumably an erica. Alan always loved ericas for whatever reason. One of his hands were on his pockets, while on his hands were holding what seemed to be a checkered orange-and-green handkerchief. They were very handy to the brunette, who frequently had coughing fits. Undertaker was betting all his money that Alan had more than one handkerchief in his pockets. Probably about three. "Alan, you are feeling alright, hm?" Alan nodded in response with a slight smile. Undertaker sighed in relief.

Eric dressed like Will and Ron, except his suit was brown and like Ron, he had no gloves on. On his index finger was a gold ring, which was a "friendship ring" that Undertaker had given to Alan and Eric as a welcome-to-the-family gift. Alan lost his ring for a reason Eric wouldn't spit out. Besides that, he wore the same leather shoes he wore at his school, instead they have been polished. He also seemed to be wearing a gold chain around his neck. Like Alan, he possessed a handkerchief, except his was black with gold outlines. He decided to wear blue shades, like Ronald who wore black shades. "Ah, Eric! You look like you're Ronald's brother or something! Thank you for assisting Alan."

Undertaker stepped back to admire his "children" who now had silly smiles on their faces, minus Will, who had his poker face on. With a grin, he clasped his hands together, giggling loudly as he did so. "Alright, alright! Let's try to not mess up this restaurant unlike last time!"

* * *

 **Next Chapter; The Shinigami-Family eat out. Will they leave the restaurant as clean as it is? Or will Grell or Ron accidentally set fire to the place like last time?**

 **Also, Undertaker's not really old. He just seems old to Will and the others because he has long white hair and is a lazy bum. The eldest to youngest is ranged like this; Undertaker, Will and Eric, Grell, Alan, and Ron. Will and Eric are the same age.**


End file.
